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glatter' tates ufmt @ffice- H. l". STAFFORD AND J. A. LEFORGEE, OF DEGATUR, lLLlOlS.

Lener; Parent No. 78,150, dated May 1e, 1868.

nrsovnnssr in sevres ros seams-rma 'rss starmi-or4 wires ro STEAM-annemasse.

ttedjehule infermi to in that grinta mimi mit mating satt its nur,

TO LL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

A13e it known that we, H. l?. STAFFORD andv J. A. Lsronen's, of Decatur, in the countyi ofMacon,'and State oi illinois, have 'invented a new and improved Supply-Gauge for Boilers -and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to-make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of'this specification, in whih--f Figure 1 is a side cievation of our improvement, with the valve and itspipehown inrsection,4 Figure 2 is a plan of the same, the valve, pipe, and box being shown in horizontal section. Similar letters oi` reference indicate corresponding parte.`

Y This invention relates to' au improvement for regulating the supply of water in steam-boilers, and which acts automaticallyiu maintaining the proper water-level within the same.

Mis a, section of boiler-plate..

.D is a box, screwed int-o o r otherwise secured to the said plate, at or near .the lowest water-level allowed in practice. f' l 4 A l C is a spindle, passing through the box, and turning freely within it'.

E is a commonlconicalvalve, fitted tightly on the spindle,- nd\ seated in the inner endl'of the box D, for a purpose to be shown.l v. A

Y B is s rshank, attached rigidly' to the'spindle'by'solibail;`R,"iitting tightly on'hoth 'shankand spindle.

The shank is at or n'ear a right .angle with the spindle, andv carries at its opposite end a hollow metallic `ball or iloat,'A, which rests upon the water, N, as shown, and rises and falls with the latter, thus `vibrating the shank B, and partially rotating the spindle G, to which it is attached. Y I The 'valve-E lits into ajcorresponding'l-conical seation the inner end 'of the boxD, and isV pressedrmly therein by the pressureA of .steam within the boiler, thereby dispensing with the use of a stuiiing-box or other packing, for keepin-g'the'box steam-tight. l l

This valvel is keptv always ground tight, by the jvibrationg of thef-spindle, when the ball A rises or'falls with the chan ge. of water-level, together with the pressure of :the steam 'against the valve.

To the exterior end of the spindle Cis attachedan arm, F, -by means of n set-screw, a, as shown'.

This arm has holes ff f, for attsohing,'with pivotfbolts through any one of them, a connecting-rod, 3,

for transmitting the motion resultinglfrom the vibration of the ball A-andits shank B, as aforesaid.

Gis aviaire, within a pipe, P, which represents the supply-pipe of the boiler, or any similar connection,

to the hot-well-tank or teud'enof a steamboanstationary or locomotive boiler.

- This valve' has an elliptical perimeter,s o thatjit shall tit-the interior of the circular-pipe P. when set at an angle withinthe same, as shown.

' A stem, s, passes transversely through the valve, and the centre line ot`|tl1e vibration of the valve on this l stem dividesfthe plane of the former equally,v`wh ereby the said valve is held in equilibrium by the pressureof waterwithin the pipe at all of its p'ositionsvand turns freely when the water ispressing against its rear face, at' whatsoever angle it may he.

his a etuiiing-box for the stem s. H is an arm, on the same, having a sl'ot, g, for the reception of a bolt, n. The connecting-rod' or link J, pivoted tn .the arm F, through any one of Vthe holes'ff f"is also `pivoted -to'the arml Hr The ball Avond valve Glare `thusin connection, and their operation is as follows:

When the ball rises'with the increase of water in' the boiler, the valve closes correspondugly,-and, at a certain point, entirely shuts oii'lthesupply of water. The fall of the water-level acts reversely, by opening the valve G. Thisaction of thevalve and oat A-maintains the water at nearly a constant uniform level.

When this supply-gauge is attached to locomotives it acts with peculiar advantage, for-in ascending grades 'the head o fjwater flowing back to therear part of the boiler," at which plaoethc iioat would be attached, raises i the iioat A, thus shutting oli' the supply, and when descending a grade the reverse takes place.

l It is the practice onall railroads to pnt on the supply-pumps at the fnlldelivery when going down vgiada, Aand to shutthemoentirely when ascending, the object being-to'cconomze the consumption of fuel.

'Olur'mpzroymnb as above shown, agis promptly and certainly in the same hunner, and is therefore n" desirable attachment-to locomotives.

' 'J.I 1e slot g, inthe armH, with the holes l l l, in thefrod Land the liolesfff, in the arm F, are all for the adjnstmentof the oonnection',"whereby the vnlve G can be made to respond witha 'greater or -less degeeu of vibration, as circumstsnces'may requre, s

The advantages of this i nvention,in addition-to those already stated, consist in simplicity, facility o'f application, and the general economy of fuel resulting from the equable supply of'water to which ity conduces.

We claim -as new, 4sind desire to secureby Letters Patentl e The arrangement of the float A, stem B, solid ball R, `"spindle C, val-ve E, box D, perforated arm F, adjustable connecting-redir, slotted erm H, steme, and elliptieal vulve G, in the supply-pipe P, all constructed and operated as hcreinshownand described. l Y

' H.' P. STAFFORD, JA. LEFORG-EE.

Witnesses: l

Rom. LEFQBGEE, W. J. CHENOWETII. 

